Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: The total number of specialized, refined, and new "little giant" enterprises in China exceeds 14600
Small and medium-sized enterprises are an important component of the real economy. On September 9th, at a series of themed press conferences on the "High quality Completion of the 14th Five Year Plan" by the State Council Information Office, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Lecheng believed that the Chinese economy will only thrive if small and medium-sized enterprises are good; If small and medium-sized enterprises survive, the resilience of the Chinese economy will be stronger. During the 14th Five Year Plan period, the number, efficiency, and quality of development of small and medium-sized enterprises in China have significantly improved.By 2024, the number of employees in small and medium-sized enterprises above designated size in China will exceed 128 million, further leveraging their role as the main channel for employment. The average annual growth rates of added value, operating income, and total profit of small and medium-sized industrial enterprises above designated size are 6.4%, 7.4%, and 5.4%, respectively, all higher than those of large enterprises.
As of the end of 2024, the number of registered small and medium-sized enterprises in China exceeds 60 million, with an average annual increase of over 4 million since 2021.During the 15th Five Year Plan period, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will focus on policies and regulations, cultivating excellent enterprises, public services, etc., further building a mechanism to promote the development and growth of specialized, refined, unique and new small and medium-sized enterprises, and promoting high-quality development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Fully promote policy benefits for enterprises, environmental revitalization for enterprises, and service assistance for enterprises
As the comprehensive management department responsible for promoting small and medium-sized enterprises under the State Council, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology adheres to the principle of equal emphasis on management and service, development and assistance, and fully promotes policies that benefit enterprises, environmental revitalization of enterprises, and service assistance to enterprises. Firstly, cultivating high-quality enterprises through gradient cultivation will enhance the quality of specialized, refined, and innovative "golden signboards".Since the 14th Five Year Plan, China has added more than 100000 specialized, refined, special and new small and medium-sized enterprises, with a total of over 140000; Among them, the total number of specialized and innovative "little giant" enterprises exceeded 14600,These enterprises have an average R&D investment intensity of over 7%, which is higher than that of industrial enterprises above designated size, with an average of 22 authorized invention patents.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with relevant departments, has introduced a series of policies and measures to promote the high-quality development of small and medium-sized enterprises. For example, the National Small and Medium sized Enterprise Development Fund has invested in 1981 projects with an investment amount exceeding 69 billion yuan, and more than 2000 specialized, refined, and new enterprises have been listed on the A-share market. For example, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, a 100 city pilot program for digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises has been launched, supporting over 45000 pilot enterprises to implement digital transformation.
Secondly, we must resolutely and effectively assist enterprises in overcoming difficulties, and accelerate the resolution of the urgent and difficult problems faced by small and medium-sized enterprises. Continuously optimizing inclusive support policies, implementing phased policies such as deferred payment of social insurance premiums and deferred repayment of principal and interest, reducing or exempting corporate income tax and value-added tax, halving the collection of "six taxes and two fees", and enabling thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises to "enter the battlefield lightly".During the 14th Five Year Plan period, the balance of inclusive small and micro loans in China increased by over 19 trillion yuan, an increase of over 120%,Injected fresh water into the development of the enterprise. At the same time, the "Regulations on Guaranteeing the Payment of Funds to Small and Medium sized Enterprises" have been revised, and a campaign to clean up overdue payments to enterprises has been launched, which should be said to have achieved significant results. A national complaint platform for defaulting and owing payments to small and medium-sized enterprises has been established and improved to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Thirdly, continuously improve the service system and optimize the development environment for small and medium-sized enterprises.We have established over 1800 public service institutions for small and medium-sized enterprises at the national, provincial, municipal, and county levels,The online operation of China's small and medium-sized enterprise service network aims to create a series of service brands such as the "Benefit Enterprises Together" special action. Build 15 Sino foreign small and medium-sized enterprise cooperation zones to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in exploring international markets.
Strong supply, platform building, strengthening the main body, and promoting transformation
Promoting the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation is the key path to achieving high-level technological self-reliance and building a modern industrial system. Li Lecheng introduced that in recent years, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has "strengthened supply, built platforms, strengthened the main body, and promoted transformation", vigorously enhanced the ability of industrial scientific and technological innovation, and effectively promoted the upgrading of industries. Firstly, there has been a "new breakthrough" in the supply of high-quality technology. We have organized and implemented major national science and technology projects and national key research and development plans, comprehensively strengthened key core technology research and development, and produced a number of major scientific and technological achievements that are cutting-edge and beneficial to the people. Domestic large aircraft soar into the sky, domestic large cruise ships anchor and sail far, ultra large diameter shield tunneling machines "escape through mountains and earth", and domestic open-source blockchain empowers key industries.
The second is the formation of a "new pattern" of high-energy innovation and service platform construction. During the 14th Five Year Plan period, 16 national level manufacturing innovation centers were newly established, bringing the total number to 33, breaking through nearly 700 key common technologies and breaking through the bottleneck from basic research to industrial application. We have identified a total of 187 key laboratories of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, selected the first batch of 241 key cultivation pilot platforms of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and built a bridge for products from "laboratories" to "production lines".
The third is to achieve a "new leap" in the status of enterprises as the main body of technological innovation. In terms of innovation investment, relevant policies such as additional deduction of R&D expenses have been implemented, encouraging enterprises to increase their R&D investment. Enterprise R&D funds have accounted for more than 3/4 of the total R&D funds in society. In terms of innovation output, the number of invention patent applications by industrial enterprises has increased from 907000 at the end of the 13th Five Year Plan period to 1.244 million in 2024, and its proportion in the total number of invention patent applications that year has also increased from 60% to 65%.
Fourthly, the industrialization of innovative achievements has taken a "new step". Accelerate the cultivation of a national integrated technology market, with a technology contract turnover of 6.8 trillion yuan by 2024. We have introduced 22 industry standard systems including artificial intelligence, formulated and released 9263 industry standards, and supported domestic enterprises in leading the development of over 500 international standards. Strengthening the role of intellectual property as a strong chain protector, the industrialization rate of enterprise invention patents has reached 53.3%, an increase of 8.4 percentage points compared to the end of the 13th Five Year Plan.
Next, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will continue to deepen the integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, focus on consolidating the foundation of integration, improve the organization and implementation mechanism of key core technology research and development, optimize the allocation of innovation resources through "unveiling the list and leading the way" and "horse racing competition", accelerate the filling of gaps, forging strengths, and strengthening the foundation. Focus on the key to integration, support more enterprises to take the lead in undertaking major national science and technology projects, establish high-level innovation platforms, and enhance their voice and leadership in innovation. Smooth the integration path, establish a gradient cultivation system for pilot platforms, improve the standard system, vigorously develop the science and technology service industry, build a national unified technology trading service platform, and promote the transformation of more scientific and technological achievements into practical productivity.
National High tech Zone "Stable, High, Excellent"
As a highland of industrial innovation, the National High tech Zone has gathered a group of high-level innovation resources and high-quality enterprises.Xin Guobin, Deputy Minister of Industry and Information TechnologySince the 14th Five Year Plan, the National High tech Zone has conscientiously implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's requirements of being both "high" and "new". In accelerating the development of new quality productive forces and deepening the promotion of new industrialization, the High tech Zone has taken the lead and set an example,The total number of parks has increased from 169 in 2020 to 178,Significant progress and positive results have been made in high-quality development, which can be summarized in three words during the 14th Five Year Plan period: 'stable, high, and excellent'.
'Stability' refers to the steady improvement of the comprehensive strength of the high-tech zone.In 2024, 178 national high-tech zones achieved a total production value of 19.3 trillion yuan, accounting for 14.3% of the national GDP, an increase of 1 percentage point from the end of the 13th Five Year Plan period; The overall labor productivity reached 718000 yuan per person, doubling from the end of the 13th Five Year Plan period. In the first half of 2025, enterprises in the National High tech Zone achieved a revenue of 26.9 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.5%.
'High' refers to the increasing level of innovation.By the end of 2024, the National High tech Zone will have gathered 70% of the national manufacturing innovation centers and 80% of the national key laboratories, with enterprise R&D funding and invention patents accounting for about 50% of the country's total.During the 14th Five Year Plan period, original technologies and products such as the world's first superconducting quantum computer and the world's first prototype of a general artificial intelligence system were successively born in the national high-tech zone. In the first half of 2025, the world's first gallium nitride quantum light source chip was officially released in Chengdu High tech Zone, and the world's fastest magnetic levitation test speed was successfully refreshed in Wuhan Donghu High tech Zone, achieving multiple global leaders.
'Excellent' refers to the sustained growth of high-quality enterprises.In 2024, the National High tech Zone will gather 33% of high-tech enterprises and 46% of specialized, refined, and new "little giant" enterprises in China; The number of enterprises with revenue exceeding 100 million yuan reached 43000, an increase of 29.4% compared to the end of the 13th Five Year Plan.Next, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will anchor the development of high technology, achieve industrialization, and accelerate the formation of new quality productivity. In terms of promoting innovation, we support national high-tech zones to take the lead in exploring new paths and opening up new opportunities in promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation; In terms of strengthening industries, we support the national high-tech zones to expand, optimize, and strengthen their leading industries, cultivate and strengthen emerging and future industries, and solidly promote the cultivation of new tracks; In terms of excellent management, we will support the deepening of management system reform in national high-tech zones, establish a comprehensive management service platform for national high-tech zones, and accelerate the creation of national high-tech zones.
Author: Meng Fanjun
Information source: China Industrial News Network
